An ode to Writers

When people ask me what I do, I don’t just tell them I’m a writer. I tell them I’m a strategist and writer.

Because somehow, a writer doesn’t really get to the essence of what I do…

1. Writers build trust. We care about language and quality, and it shows. Words can make or break customer or user trust, that’s why ours are meticulously crafted.

2. Writers simplify. We write product flows that feel so simple they go unnoticed. We know less is often more, and when there are too many words on the page.

3. Writers tell stories. Short ones. Long ones. Funny ones. Surprising ones. Relatable ones. Emotional ones. Whenever there’s a story to be told, we’re telling it.

4. Writers start from zero. We’re used to starting with a blank page. Give us an empty Google doc or Figma file, and we’ll create content from scratch.

5. Writers explain. We break down complex concepts or ideas into jargon-free sentences. We even explain how to use products, and what to do next.

6. Writers add personality. We add warmth, humour, sincerity, silliness. You name it, we add it. We define the most unique brand voices, then we bring them to life.

7. Writers question. We don’t just start writing, we question. Is this really what’s needed? What problem are we solving? What are the user needs?

8. Writers solve problems. We solve tricky stuff. Confusing website? We’ll restructure the content. No one remembers your brand? We’ll craft a tone of voice you won’t forget.

9. Writers are thinkers. Don’t just ask us to “wordsmith” or “copy edit.” Ask us to think, and we’ll do it strategically. Words may be our tools, but the work starts way before the pen touches the paper.

Yes, words are our tools, but our craft starts with the way I think.

It’s years of honing our processes, thinking and writing that come together to create the finished piece.

You can’t see thinking. You can only feel the simplicity of the product flow, the ease of the website, the understanding after reading the content, the feeling after reading the story.

There’s a lot of thinking before the writing.

So if anyone asks you to “wordsmith” or “copy edit” it, don’t just show them perfect copy, show them how you think.